On average, it costs the distributor about $350 (US Dollars) per week to supply a 35mm print to a theatre. At five shows per day, that works out to only about $10 per showing.

This estimate is based on a print/shipping cost of about $1400, and first-run of about 4 weeks.
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services
Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Eastman Kodak Company
Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Telephone: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
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Website: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Andrew,
I was leaving this one alone because, truthfully, I don't know the answer to your question. I do analyze my electric bills ( I assume that is what you are looking for) but I look at the aggregate cost per month rather than the cost to run the booth only for one show. I will confess that I don't really want to know what it is per show because then I would know how much I was losing each time I run a show for 2 people. We all run for two people more often than we would like to, but it must be done so that we don't drive people away.
Additionally my costs per kilowatt hour vary considerably between 9.54 cents and 13.68. I don't know precisely why but it depends upon how much energy I use and the season of the year.
Here is our annual kilowatt usage for the past 5 years (August- July) and our average monthly bill:
96/97 2909 kw $334
97/98 3628 kw $473
98/99 3769 kw $491
99/00 3780 kw $531
00/01 4971 kw $669

As you can see our costs have gone up substantially over the years. Part of this is due to equipment upgrades: lamphouse, digital sound with lots of new speakers and amps pulling power. Part of it is also due to existing equipment requiring fluctuating power i.e. I have a 30 year old crushed ice ice machine which needs to be replaced. It costs me dearly to run in the summer and barely makes enough ice. We bought ice for Monsters, Inc in November because the ice machine couldn't keep up. I am sure it was the largest part of my $1000 and $1300 electric bills in August and September last year. But people do love crushed ice and I hate to replace it with a cubed ice machine at a $6000 cost.
I know I haven't helped you, Andrew, but maybe you can see that the answer you are seeking is very complex.

Single screen
No terminals running either concession or box office. Only Automaticket machine uses electricity.
Theater constructed 1972 using concrete block. Pre 1973 energy crisis - Single pane glass in lobby means that the lobby is COLD!!!!!!!. Temperature changes by 10 degrees when we let a show out because people open the exit doors and the outside air comes directly in. We close the theater doors ASAP to keep some of that expensive heat in the theater for the next group of people. We have had a non-winter winter this year so I am running ahead in my budget bills with the gas company. I pay $357 per month (my calculation) and then whatever I want to in the worst winter months to keep on top of things. I now have a $700 credit balance this winter.

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We have deregulated gas in Ohio and I have done well by switching contracts annually. Our electric is technically deregulated but there are no other suppliers beating down the doors to get in so everyone is still with their electric company. Deregulation has just meant that the component parts of the electric bill are presented differently on the monthly bill. I did not include some of the fixed monthly fees in my cost per kilowatt hour that I gave your earlier since they would inflate winter cost per kw and deflate summer cost per kw.

Large: What costs per kilowatt do you now deal with in Calif.? I am glad that I don't have your bills, but I do recall that an 8 plex here was paying $3200 per month in electric bills.

The Colonial in Belfast, Maine with lots of Neon, spots, and a deep belief that (like Vegas baby!) lights attract people had a 2001 elec bill of 3440.00 for the year or 286.00 per month. No AC but huge fans move air. 3 screens.
Mike Hurleywww.bigscreenbiz.com

This topic is an excellent example of how great these forums are. Thanks Mike. The opportunity to compare information with other exhibitors is priceless.

Even though I have operated 18 theatres here in Pennsylvania over the years, which have varied in size from 350 seats to 1800 seats (the 1800 seaters were singles, by the way)and have been built of all types of construction with operating costs greatly varied, it still is amazing to find out how much different things are in different parts of the country.

My 560 seat single screen costs considerly more to operate then many of your 2-3-4-5 screen theatres. But then I'm heating and cooling a large stagehouse as well as lighting a large marquee with a thousand lights on it, operating a blower for the pipe organ, and running stage lighting and sound equipment for occasional stage shows.

Our cost per show runs about $260.00 not including film rental. We run a fixed schedule of 11 shows per week except during the winter when we also run a Saturday matinee. Our regular schedule is: Fri & Sat-7:00 & 9:15, Sun-2:00 & 7:00, Mon Tues & Thurs-7:00, and Wed-1:00 & 7:00. We also run weekday matinees for some shows during the summer, and of course run additional matinees during all school holiday periods.

All of our fixed costs are budgeted against those shows, so if I want to add an extra show for any reason the only cost for an extra show is for utilities and payroll. that puts the extra show cost at about $35.00 so if I can bring in 20 people at my lowest admission price ($1.50) and get my average per cap at the stand ($1.25) I will break even on that extra show. This theatre seldom gets fewer then 20 people per show. I have only had one time in 32 years that I only got 2 people and therefore have never had a no show. If a school group or some other organization wants a special show I'll run it for as low as $50.00 just so I cover expenses and make a couple of bucks. Because of that I get a lot of special daytime screenings that bring in about $5,000 extra each year for the theatre.

Mike. How about we trade electric bills for a year? Mine run as high as $2,000 a month during the late summer for only one screen. Non summer months only run around $400. My top heating bill (gas) can hit $2,000 as well in Jan. and Feb. Thankfully this year we didn't hit either of those figures.

My costs are high, my per cap is low... how do I stay in business you may ask? People... lots of people. I sell a lot of tickets. I present a lot of extra shows. I get a lot of rentals for the use of the theatre. And I sell sell sell every angle of the theatre business... movies, stageshows, concerts, special screenings, corporate meetings, you name it. All those extras is what keeps the doors open.

Many years ago (the 1950s)I read an editorial in an industry tradepaper that said: "Sell your theatre, or sell your theatre". I'd rather promote it then put it up for sale.

[This message has been edited by RoxyVaudeville (edited April 11, 2002).]

Now that my dad is Director Of Sales And Marketing at the Ramada Marlborough, who now own the GARRICK theatre, and he has his own key and security code, I can go in whenever I want.

Anyways. They have breakers all over the place, and its so complex to figure out how to even turn on the lights in Cinema 1!! There's seriously 20 full breaker panels in the original booth, plus 4 in the new booth. In addition, they have huge switch things, and more electrical switch breakers along the walls. Its insane! Plus, this theatre is covered in lights! Cinemas 1 & 2 alone, combined, use over 1500-2000 light bulds! ow add that with the marquee, infrared heating outside, outside lights, lobby lights, cinemas 3 & 4, the 4 washrooms, the concession stands etc. Their power bill must have been outrageous! No wonder they had to shut down!

"Would you like fries with that?"

[This message has been edited by Andrew McCrea (edited November 09, 2002).]

One must remember that when that theatre was built the booth was equipped with 2 machines per screen (shangeovers) and they were not consoles so they had individual breakers in the panel
Also the Canadian electrical code requires that the number of fixtures per breaker is limited so there is usually a lot of breakers for lobby lighting

I often wondered about cost per show, but never took the time to try to figure it out. It seems like there are too many variables. But just using the cost of utilities for the year divided by the number of shows in the same year, my cost per show is $16. My gas & electric for the past year was $4746 with a low of $206 for April and a high of $597 for July. I also included water into my computation. It would be $15 per show without water. (Single screen/252 seats, some neon, cash registers, automaticket machine, dts, a/c, and probably the same 30 year old crushed ice machine Beckwith has.)

But the real figure is much more. Shipping, movie cost, payroll, advertising, repairs, upgrades, and the list goes on must also be included. But at least now I have a starting figure.

[This message has been edited by BurneyFalls (edited November 09, 2002).]

The old Scotman 30 year old ice machine was finally declared dead in July. Replaced with a new Scotsman crushed ice machine. Smaller footprint but good production. My electric bills were several hundred dollars less in August and September than they were the year before. Maybe that is worth the $2,000 + we spent on the ice machine?